Conflict and Lack of Governance

Overview

Resources for Researchers is a database intended as a source for researchers, policymakers, students, and the public to become better informed of major recent analysis on global food security. Included are different perspectives provided through a range of academic journals, government research, think tanks, popular press and opinion pieces, and scholarly reviews. This information has been collected from open sources and includes works that have been produced within the last decade. We have noted gated articles. We will regularly update the database as new works are published. Other topics will be added in the future. This is a collaborative project. If you think we’ve missed a major piece of work, please let us know.

Conflict and Lack of Governance

The presence of conflict and instability in a country or region exacerbates food insecurity. Conflict can reduce the amount of food available, disrupt people’s access to food, limit families’ access to food preparation facilities and health care, and increase uncertainty about satisfying future needs for food and nutrition. However, it is also important to note food insecurity can exacerbate conflict as well, as seen in the 2008 and 2011 food riots. Therefore, studying the relationship between food security and conflict is crucial.

This report explores the linkages between conflict and food security and, in what circumstances, food insecurity directly contributes to or causes conflict. It also provides USAID recommendations on future conflict and food security situations.

Looking at the relationship between food security and conflict, country case studies suggest that production, trade structures, and food and financial policies determine peaceful or belligerent outcomes.

Saswati Bora, Iride Ceccacci, Christopher Delgado, and Robert Townsend World Development Report; 2011

Countries under the greatest amount of stress in terms of people to feed, water and land use, and price volatility are often least able to respond. The authors base food security on availability, access, utilization, and stability.

Famine early warning systems should be utilized in order to mitigate the effects of famine by using joint planning and decision-making. In Somalia, the mismanagement of early signs led to thousands of deaths from famine.

In describing the growing numbers of food insecure people in the Sahel, this reporter points out the numerous hurdles to providing food to those in need throughout the region. Food is not reaching conflict areas due to insecurity

The mass departures of Muslims in CAR due to conflict has had an adverse impact on availability of basic foodstuffs, especially the departure of Muslim businessmen in trade and transport activities. The lack of security in the country points directly to an increase in food prices.

In this first-hand account, World Food Program’s Chief Economist, Arif Husain, describes the impact the conflict in Central African Republic is having on commerce from surplus-producing areas to deficit areas, creating food insecurity. The agriculture industry and the economy in general are struggling due to the instability and conflict among armed groups.

Food insecurity in Syria is associated with the civil war, which has resulted in the displacement of over two million people and the destruction of farmlands. More than one million people have fled Syria into other states with precarious food security situations.

Alongside the fuel and food crisis, Yemen is experiencing increasing levels of food insecurity due to the lack of job growth, distorted economic system, and inefficient social transfer systems. This paper analyzes the food security situation as a result of these factors.